‘Incorporate emerging disasters in plan’

Mzimba district social welfare officer Bernard Nangwale has asked stakeholders to incorporate emerging disasters in the district’s 2023/24 Disaster Contingency Plan.

He said this yesterday in Karonga District during M’Mbelwa District Council meeting to review and develop the district’s disaster contingency plan.

Nangwale called for a  comprehensive review of the district’s contingency plan to accommodate emerging disasters such as cyclones .

He said there have been new climate-induced disasters in Malawi such as cyclones.

“These days we encounter many natural disasters that are phenomenal such as Cyclone Freddy.  That should make us wake up and plan on how we will respond to such disasters should they affect us,” he said.

Nangwale asked the delegates to also look into how disasters affect everyone, including school children and how they can be helped during such disasters to avoid affecting their education.

M’Mbelwa District Council disaster risk management officer Faith Longwe said the meeting was critical as they discussed how to respond to emerging disasters.

“This review follows the expiry of the old contingency plan. We want to come up with a new one that should be responsive to the emerging trends of disasters,” she said.

The meeting drew together members from various sectors, including police, the media and social welfare department.